Family planning in Serbia – The perspective of female students from the University of Belgrade

ABSTRACT

Objectives To assess whether current knowledge and attitudes of future female doctors, pharmacists, politicians, journalists and social workers indicate that positive changes may take place in family planning in Serbia.

Methods A total of 504 female students from the University of Belgrade completed a questionnaire related to the physiology of reproduction, contraception, childbearing, and extended cycles of combined oral contraceptive (COC) use.

Results Eighty percent of the study population knew the fertile period in the menstrual cycle. The students had positive opinions about COCs in 52% of the cases, and negative opinions in 48%. More than 80% of respondents were aware of the possibility of suppressing uterine bleeding by COC use, but only 22% would utilise COCs in that manner. Seventy-nine percent considered 25–29 years as the optimal age span for starting childbearing. Nearly all expressed the desire to have children later, with 2.56 being the average number of children wanted.

Conclusion Our findings indicate that professionals who, in the future, will provide education and counselling in the field of contraception, or will be involved in developing a national family planning framework in Serbia, are not likely to go about much differently from those presently active.

KEYWORDS:

• Female university students
• Combined oral contraception
• Extended cycles
• Reproduction
• Parenthood
• Attitudes
• Knowledge;
• Family planning
• Serbia

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are indebted to the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health for the financial support of this study. They are also very grateful to Dr Sarah Randall for having critically reviewed the manuscript and to Ms Ana Banković for technical assistance.

This investigation was part of the Project no. 47006 financed by the Ministry of Science of the Republic of Serbia.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Appendix

Questionnaire ‘Women's experience and attitudes regarding menstruation, contraception and childbearing’ (part used for the purpose of this paper).

Please mark the appropriate answer.

(1) How old are you? ♾♾ years

(2) Where do you live? Your permanent residency:

♾ Urban area (city or town)♾ Rural area: _____________

♾ Semi-rural (village)

(2) Where do you live? Your permanent residency:

♾ Urban area (city or town)♾ Rural area: _____________

♾ Semi-rural (village)

(3) Marital status:

♾ Married♾ In a relationship ♾ Single

(4) What is your main area of study?

♾ Natural science♾ Technical science

♾ Liberal arts♾ Other: ____________

♾ Medicine

(5) What do you think about the pill? Tick max 3 answers.

♾ Safe and effective♾ Unnatural

♾ Improves quality of life♾ May cause weight gain

♾ Has a lot of side effects♾ Dangerous for health

♾ Controls acne♾ Reduces dysmenorrhoea

♾ May interfere with future fertility♾ Causes hirsutism

♾ May cause cancer♾ Other (please specify): ____________

(6) If you could decide, how often would you choose to menstruate?

♾ Once a month

♾ Once every 3 months

♾ Once every 6 months

♾ Once a year

♾ Never

(7) Have you ever heard of OC-suppressed menstruation?♾ Yes♾ No

(8) Would you be interested in using a daily, low-dose, hormonal combined oral contraceptive, without a pillfree interval, that would allow you to suppress menstruation as long as you needed, knowing that this wouldn't have harmful effects?

♾ Yes♾ No♾ On special occasions (please specify): ____

(9) Which days between two menses are you most prone to become pregnant?

♾ In the beginning of the menstrual period

♾ In the middle of the menstrual cycle

♾ At the end of the menstrual cycle

♾ Any time in the menstrual cycle

(10) Do you wish to have a child/children in the future?

♾ Yes♾ No♾ I don't know

(11) How important are the following conditions for you before childbearing? (1 = very important, 2 = not so important, 3 = not important at all)

♾ Career♾ Wish for child

♾ Having a job♾ Proper age

♾ Financial independence♾ Family support

♾ Flat/house at my own♾ Good health

♾ Marriage♾ Helpful surroundings

♾ Stable partner relationship♾ Car of my own

♾ Social support♾ Other (please specify): ______________________

(12) In your opinion, what age is optimal for the first childbearing?

♾ before age 20♾ 30–34 year

♾ 20–24 years♾ 35–39 years

♾ 25–29 years♾ 40 years or over

(13) How many children would you like to have? ♾♾